The L6 Conspiracy
by Artemis20
Summary: This is my sequel to "Trowa's Girl". (You only need to read that one if you want to know who "Hattie" is.) Colony L6 is attempting to secede from the World Nation. After four people "disappear", can the Preventers stop this tyrannical act?
1. Chapter 1

The L6 Conspiracy  
  
Sequel to Trowa's Girl  
  
Author's Note: Like everyone else writing fan fiction, I do not own Gundam Wing or its characters or any songs or anything else that I couldn't possibly own that I might mention in writing. This is my second try. I decided my fluff story needed a sequel with more substance. Read and review, please! (Think constructive criticism!) Thank you! Enjoy!  
  
Hattie Barton yawned and stretched. She slowly reached her small hands up to her eyes and wiped the sleep away. She smiled to herself.  
Hattie Barton. I like that.  
Only the day before had she taken that name. It had been a small, quiet wedding. Well, for the most part at least. It's impossible for anything to be "quiet" with Duo Maxwell around. Hattie's grin widened. Hilde usually managed to keep her husband in check, but, occasionally, he found away to get around her and pull some sort of juvenile prank. At yesterday's reception, he succeeded in switching one of the sheet cakes with one of his own "special recipe". He made sure that both Heero Yuy and Wufei Chang got nice, big pieces. Many of the guests, mostly people who didn't know about Duo's cake, wondered why the two of them were dancing to classics like "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Ice, Ice Baby". The biggest surprise was when they proceeded to lead everyone in "The Electric Slide".  
Hattie began giggling at the memory of it. It had been a wonderful day, and there would be many more to come. She looked to the sleeping form at her side and sighed.  
Trowa, you're so wonderful.  
She kissed him lightly on the cheek before getting up to make breakfast. However, when she got into the kitchen of their small trailer, she found her dear friend, and now sister-in-law, Catherine Winner, already whipping up several waffles and a few omelets. Hattie walked over to the tall young woman and gave her a hug.  
"Cathy, what are you doing here?"  
"Well, I knew you and Trowa weren't going on a honeymoon, so I thought I'd at least come and spare you some of the work. Besides, Quatre wanted to stay on the colony for a few more days. I may as well do something constructive while I'm here."  
"Thank you, dear," Hattie said giving the girl another hug. "It's nice we can actually say we're sisters now."  
Cathy smiled warmly at the petite girl next to her, "So, did you have a nice night?"  
Hattie blushed and softly replied, "Of course."  
"Alright," Cathy said grinning, "I won't you tease you about it."  
"I appreciate it!" Hattie laughed. "Where's Quatre today?"  
"I think he's talking with some of the colony leaders today. You know. He's always got something important he's working on. I'm sure he'd tell me if I asked, but I'd rather worry about other things."  
Catherine placed her hand gently on her steadily growing belly.  
"And to think our own wedding was only six months ago."  
She turned to Hattie, "It's wonderful; isn't it?"  
Hattie smiled, "Yes, it's marvelous."  
"What's so marvelous?" Trowa asked stepping into the kitchen.  
"Being married," his wife replied with a sweet smile.  
He walked over to her and kissed her softly, "Good morning, beautiful."  
Hattie giggled as he walked over to Cathy, "It's nice to see you here this morning."  
He gave her a warm hug before returning to his wife.  
Cathy laughed, "It's nice to see you, too, but I don't think I'll stick around for long. You two need some time to yourselves, and I've got things to do."  
Hattie got the plates and silverware out as Cathy put the food on the table.  
"Hattie, dear, only two plates. I've already eaten and, as I said, I'm leaving you two in peace."  
"Are you sure, Cathy? We don't mind having you."  
"I'm positive. In fact, I need to be getting out the door now. Hilde and Duo are still here. I'm taking her shopping before we meet our guys for lunch."  
Hattie gave her new sister another hug, "Thank you for coming this morning."  
Cathy smiled and turned to hug her brother, "You two have fun today, okay?"  
He shook his head and smiled back at her, "See you later, Cathy."  
She headed to the door and, with a wink, left the small trailer. Trowa stepped up behind Hattie, placed his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head, "Let's eat."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Quatre straightened his tie nervously.  
I never was completely comfortable speaking at L6. Something  
about Governor Rodrick always made me skiddish. Quatre shook himself and walked briskly into the conference room.  
There's nothing to worry about. How little did he know.  
  
Okay, so it was short and had little more fluff than I really wanted, but gimme a break! I need to get into it! ( Review and go easy on the flames, please! (You don't really want me to cry do you? () 2nd chapter coming very soon hopefully. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The plot thickens. (I've always wanted to say that!) ( Hope you enjoy. Less fluff. Read and Review, please!  
  
The L6 Conspiracy: Chapter Two  
  
"Welcome, Mr. Winner! Please, sir, sit down."  
Quatre looked at the man speaking to him. He was a stout man, bald on top, with gray hair and eyes.  
He seems harmless enough. Why am I always so nervous around him? "Thank you very much, Governor Rodrick." "Why, you're quite welcome son. May I ask why one of the most highly esteemed ambassadors of the World Nation is here on colony L6?" "Just a routine check, sir. As usual, I'm just supposed to sit in on one of your meetings. If you have anything you'd like me to present to the World Nation Congress, you can tell me now." Governor Rodrick stood up slowly. "As a matter of fact," he said nodding to the guards, "we do have a message for the World Nation." Quatre turned to see one guard securely locking the doors and the other walking menacingly towards him. Quatre stood up quickly. "What is the meaning of this, Governor?" "Let's just say, Mr. Winner," he replied walking towards the young man, "that you've become a small pawn in my intriguing game of chess." Quatre quickly counted the men around him. There were four guards total, eleven legislators, and the governor. The shades had been drawn so that no one could see the drama about to begin in the room.  
I can't go down without a fight! I'm still a Gundam pilot! This  
isn't right! In one swift move, Quatre jabbed his elbow into the stomach of the guard behind him and took his gun.  
No sense in being unarmed! He ducked and rolled under the conference table as the other three guards opened fire at him. Governor Rodrick dropped down on his knees to glare at Quatre. "Give it up, boy," the man snarled. "You haven't got a chance!" "You thought I'd just go without a fight? I'm sorry, sir, but you're mistaken," Quatre replied firing in the Governor's leg. Rodrick reeled back, howling in pain, "Get that little brat, and get him now!" Quatre shot several more legs before someone grabbed his arm. He felt a blunt object hit the back of his head. Just before drifting out of consciousness he thought to himself:  
They were right. I didn't have a chance.  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was twelve-thirty. Cathy swung her foot nervously. She and Hilde had picked out this restaurant because it was centrally located and had the best coffee. Duo looked at her skeptically. "Ya know, swinging your foot like that ain't gonna get Quatre here any sooner." Cathy forced a smile and stopped shaking her foot. "I'm just worried, Duo. He's never late. You even beat him here." "Don't worry! He'll get here soon enough. The meeting probably ran over or something." "It must have run very far over, then. He was supposed to have an hour to kill before lunch." "Traffic, maybe?" "Duo, we got here fine. He wasn't coming from any further away than the rest of us." Duo shrugged, "I'm sure there's a logical explanation and he's just fine. Stop worrying, Cathy. Go ahead and order your food. You're eatin' for two." Cathy sat pensively for a few moments. "Cathy!" Duo exclaimed in exasperation, "It's gonna be fine!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
It was one o'clock. Hattie flipped on the television and snuggled next to Trowa. Casablanca was supposed to be showing today, but before it could begin a news anchor broke in.  
"We interrupt this program to bring you some very tragic news."  
The image of an exploded, fiery, hardly recognizable vehicle appeared on the screen.  
"World Nation Ambassador Quatre Winner died tragically today in car accident. Cause of the accident is still unknown, but Mr. Winner's remains have been identified by his dog tags."  
Two warped pieces of metal on a chain were shown.  
"More coverage will be given as information becomes available. And now back to the regularly schedule program."  
Hattie and Trowa stared at the screen in dumbfounded horror. Trowa absently got up and turned off the TV.  
"Trowa," Hattie asked quietly with tears in her eyes, "do you think Cathy knows yet?"  
  
One down, four to go, huh? Do you really think I'd kill off a Gundam pilot? COME ON! ( Review, please! I need pointers! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, so it took me a bit longer than I thought to come up with this one. Gimme a break! Read and review. This one should be good. **fingers crossed**  
  
The L6 Conspiracy: Chapter Three  
  
At two-thirty, Cathy burst into the trailer. "Any news? Have you guys heard from Quatre?" Hattie looked nervously at Trowa. It wasn't going to be easy to tell Cathy about Quatre's death. "Cathy," Trowa said quietly, "Why don't you sit down?" Immediately alarmed, Cathy stood in the doorway, tense and trembling. "Trowa, you had better tell me right now exactly what's wrong," she replied fiercely through her teeth. "Sit down first," he countered equally firm. Cathy complied, and Hattie put her arm around the young woman. "Cathy," her friend began quietly, "Quatre's been in an car accident." "Well, has been hurt badly? Is he going to be alright?" Hattie looked down, her emerald eyes filling with tears. Trowa slowly walked to the TV and turned it on. Every station was showing clips of a huge explosion and a hand holding two warped pieces of metal. "Still no word on the cause of the accident," the reporter was saying, "But, as stated before, these dog tags are the only remains of World Nation ambassador Quatre Winner. Police are cutting off all traffic in the area. Please choose a different route if you'll be driving near 29th and Grove." The image switched to the main anchorwoman. "At 3 o'clock, our station will be playing a tribute to the widely acclaimed, ex-Gundam pilot, Ambassador Winner. Please stay tuned." An image of Quatre filled the screen. Cathy absently walked up to the screen and placed her hand on it.  
How on earth am I going to go on without him?  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hilde stepped into the hotel room and glanced at her watch: two twenty- eight. Duo followed her in practically on her heels. "What d'you think happened to Quatre?" he asked her. "Cathy's right. It's really not like him to blow us off without a phone call or anything." Hilde slowly sat down on the bed, worried.  
I'm supposed to have all the answers? He's the one who's known Quatre  
longer! Poor Cathy must be worried sick. "Hey, babe. What's wrong?" Hilde shook herself from her reveries, "Just worried, that's all." She put her hand on the bed and noticed the remote to the TV. "Let's get our minds off Quatre for a bit," she said flipping on the TV. However, Quatre was the last thing the TV would help them forget. Each station showed the same images: the explosion and the dog tags. Duo and Hilde sat in utter shock as they listened to the news anchor announce their friend's death. Duo turned away in anger and frustration. "Well," he began bitterly, "at least now we know why he wasn't at lunch." Normally, Hilde would have either groaned in exasperation or shot her husband a dirty look, but now, she only had enough energy to lean against Duo for some comfort.  
Does Cathy know yet? Will she be alright when she finds out? How on  
earth could this have happened? After everything Quatre's been  
through, he died in a car accident! It seems impossible! It can't be  
right. It just can't! Duo gave his wife a tight hug. "It's gonna be fine," he whispered in her ear. "Everything's gonna be okay." He stood up quickly and turned off the TV, "I just can't take any more of this. There's something deeper going on here and the media's not gonna know about it." Hilde watched her husband pace like caged lion.  
So, he's having suspicions, too. He knows something's not right, but  
how's he supposed to prove it? Hilde's question was soon answered. Duo walked over to the videophone and began dialing. "I'm callin' Heero. He needs to know what's goin' on and he'll be able to help us." Hilde smiled weakly.  
Yeah, Heero and Relena will help us figure everything out. They've  
got connections. All of the Preventers'll probably be called to  
action anyway. The untimely death of a World Nation ambassador would  
definitely have to be investigated. We'll get to the bottom of this. Duo watched the screen flicker on, and an image of Heero appeared. "Hey, buddy. Maybe you should have stayed in town for at least a day. You probably could have stopped a tragic little event from happening up here." "First of all, Duo, I'm already investigating Quatre's so-called 'death'. We've already been well informed about it. Second of all, after that 'cake' I had yesterday, did you really think I'd want to stay on the same colony as you? You're crazier than I thought." "For the first time, buddy, I'm in less of a mood to joke than you are. Glad to know you're already on to this incident, though. What have you found so far?" "Well, I doubt the police reports have even been completed yet, so I can't check those yet. However, headquarters has been suspicious of L6 for a few months now. They haven't always been too 'polite' during the routine inspections." "Speaking of which, Quatre was supposed to be inspecting them this morning. Afterwards he was going to meet Cathy, Hilde, and me for lunch at noon. But, as you can see, he never showed up. Never called or anything. The reports say the accident occurred at about twelve-thirty. He should have called us before the accident then, and he didn't. "L6 is hiding something, but we don't have any hard evidence yet. This 'accident' Quatre was supposedly in is only heightening my suspicions. I believe Une and Relena will probably call together an official investigation by World Nation Preventers to see what's really going on up there." "Wow, and to think we had a bunch of us here yesterday. Do you think they'll stick with those of us who knew him personally?" "Probably. There're enough of us with Zechs, Noin, Sally, and Wufei." "With Hilde, you, and me we've got seven. Eight if you count Trowa." "Trowa's help will be crucial. Unlike the rest of us, out in the open, his undercover work will allow him to find much of what we need to know on the L6 council." "Yeah, you're right. We're gonna have a lot to figure out. It surprises me, though, that you got on this so quickly. What aroused your suspicions? "I was wondering why there's been no mention of his actual remains. That fire didn't look bad enough to completely destroy every inch of his body. There's still a good deal of the car left. Their only 'proof' that it was Quatre is the dog tags. They look authentic enough, but that was only on TV. It's very possible that they were faked." "So, you think he may still be alive, then." "Perhaps." "I really don't like the way you just said that, Heero." Heero stared at him seriously, "You'll have to forgive me. I guess I'm not exactly a happy-go-lucky optimist like you." "Hey," Duo exclaimed throwing his hands up in the air, "I'm not accusing you of bein' a pessimist or anything. Oh well. Do you want Hilde and me to start some investigating while we're here?" "You should probably wait 'til you get orders. Do you have all of your gear with you?" Duo shook his head, "Nah, didn't think we'd need it for a wedding. Show's ya how wrong we were." "I'd suggest you head back home and wait for instructions. We'll still have Trowa on site if we need a contact. Plus, he won't be outwardly recognized as a Preventer." "Yeah, you're probably right." "I'd better go. Relena may have found something. I'll contact you next back at home on L2." "Alright, buddy. See ya." The screen flicked off.  
Just like him not to say "bye". I wonder if they found anything  
that'll do us any good. Duo looked around the room. Hilde was nowhere to be found. Then, he noticed that the water was running in the bathroom.  
She must have gone in there to shower while I was talkin' to Heero. I  
didn't even notice. The poor girl's a little freaked by all this.  
For some reason, everyone thinks we Gundam pilots can't die. Well,  
the truth is, we're mortal like everyone else. Even the God of Death. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Hilde came out in clean clothes and wet hair. Duo put his arms around her. "I thought women took long showers," he teased. "Not women who've been in the army," she teased back kissing him lightly on the nose. "Now, what's the deal with Heero?" Duo sat down to give her the news.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Heero hurried over to Relena's computer. "It seems that we have more reason to believe that Quatre's alive." "Really?" Heero explained what Duo had told him about the time difference between Quatre's supposed "death" and the time he was supposed to meet his friends for lunch. "Well, now, that's quite interesting coupled with what I've just found here: Old police records on our lovely Governor Rodrick. He was a legislator on L3 for two years before he was caught in a scandal with several others embezzling money. It seems he received a large fine and a stiff jail sentence, but he was pardoned when the White Fang took over his colony." "Why didn't this show up in his background checks, the ones we ran for all of the governors." "He's using an alias," Relena sighed in frustration. "If we'd known about this before, we may have been able to prevent some of this. The only reason I found him was because I started checking up on every legislator on L6. It seems that Victor Blake was also on L3 when Rodrick was. Blake was tried for the same crime, but found innocent. I looked up a picture of the trial." She motioned to the image now on the screen.  
  
"That's Rodrick alright!" Heero confirmed. "My thought exactly. However, this man is noted in the caption as Roger Harvey-Catalonia. It also seems that L6 police files have absolutely nothing on Rodrick. Including fingerprints. It's as if someone went in and destroyed every file they might have on him or Mr. Harvey-Catalonia." Heero looked at his wife steadily, "I knew there was something going on there. He's got the police bribed; doesn't he?" "That's certainly what it looks like. We need to talk to Une and see what she thinks. I'm of the opinion that we should get an investigation going there as soon as possible."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
By the next day, Relena and Lady Une had the permission of the World Nation Congress to start investigations into Quatre Winner's death on colony L6.  
That was so much quicker than usual. It usually takes at least a few  
days to decide anything in there. They must all be worried that the  
same will happen to them if they don't do something about it. Relena shook her head.  
Something very well could happen to any one of us. Who knows what  
else Rodrick, well, Roger Harvey-Catalonia, has up his sleeve? This  
can't possibly be all of it. "Hey there, space cadet. Ya plannin' on comin' back to earth any time soon?" Relena turned to the voice smiling. For some reason, Heero could lose his serious attitude occasionally for her. "Yeah, I'm back," she replied. "Just musing about our little governor on L6." "Aren't we all?" Heero said dryly. "Does Une have an investigation game plan yet?" "Yeah, we're sending Sally up to L2 to brief Wufei, Duo, and Hilde on the situation. You're going to L7 to meet my brother and Noin and fill them in. I'll meet you up there tomorrow once I've finalized things with Une. She wants you to head on up today so you have as much time as possible to work with Zechs on this. You guys are supposed to check in with L2 periodically to decide on your tactics. Just wait for word from Une before landing on L6. We don't want to create an uproar." "Alright," Heero agreed reluctantly.  
Why am I nervous about this? Something doesn't feel right about  
traveling separately. Heero shook himself. "You okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine," he said forcing a hardly noticeable smile.  
Everything's gonna be fine. She's a big girl. She can take care of  
herself. We've traveled separately dozens of times before. She hugged him tightly. "We're going to get this all figured out, Heero. Don't worry about Quatre. He'll be fine."  
  
Hey, what d'you think so far? Review, please! Hint, hint: notice Rodrick's real last name. It should make you suspicious. ( 


End file.
